The invention concerns a corrugated hose with a holder to fix the corrugated hose in a position that is angled in relation to the lengthwise projection of the inner tube, whereby the holder fits tightly into at least one recess between axially adjacent corrugations of the corrugated hose.
Such a prior-art corrugated hose with a holder that has proven useful is in DE GM 298 10 441.5 U. The corrugated hose is held by an angled holder in a recess close to its end. The angled position of the lengthwise projection of the inner tube is in the angled holder and not in the corrugated tube itself. This arrangement is hence suitable only where a corrugated tube runs parallel to a housing wall, etc. into which the lengthwise inner tube is guided through a hold.
The arrangement is unsuitable when it is desirable for the corrugated tube to change direction. In this case, several holders must be provided to hold the corrugated tube before and after such a change in direction. A corresponding number of mounting sites are required for the holders.
The invention is therefore based on the problem of creating a corrugated hose with a holder whereby the corrugated hose can be releasably held when the direction changes even when there is only one attachment site for the holder, and the corrugated hose is to curve or change direction at a distance from this site. Likewise it should also be possible to first fix a corrugated tube with its holder to a hole into a housing with the hose first leading away from the hole and then running parallel or at a different angle to the housing surface via a curve.
To solve this problem, the cited corrugated tube is characterized by a holder that has at least two legs, and the legs are designed to tightly fit the corrugated hose and curve it between the two legs in a position ready for use. The corrugated hose can hence be given a curve in its path that can be fixed by the tight connection to the two legs that form or belong to the holder. The hollow lengthwise interior of the corrugated tube can hence change direction by holding it in a curve and not by a separate extension such as an elbow, etc. without having to install several holders.
It is useful when the holder is an angled piece with two legs that meet at an acute, right or obtuse angle up to 180xc2x0. This allows curves of any length to be fixed with a corresponding directional change of the corrugated hose. U-shaped curves and hence 180xc2x0 directional changes can be created when the two legs are at an angle of 180xc2x0 to each other. If they are at an obtuse or right angle, a greater directional change can be attained if the corrugated hose is run from the outside of the angled piece and then fixed to the two legs.
A particularly simple embodiment of the holder results when the legs have at least one cut-out, hole or penetration to form a tight fit with the corrugated hose. When the hole is closed, the face of a corrugated hose can e.g. be provided with a corresponding coupling or clamp.
It is particularly favorable for at least one of the legs or both legs to have at least one cut-out that is open on the side so that a recess of the corrugated hose can be shoved into the cut-out from the side. The side opening of the cut-out is smaller than the outer diameter of the corrugated tube in a corrugation valley, and the thickness of the holder at the area of the cut-out is the same or less than the axial dimension of a corrugation valley or a recess between two corrugations. This makes it possible to press in the corrugated hose from the side into a corresponding cut-out. A corrugation valley or recess comes to lie in the cut-out, and a strain relief is also provided by the corrugations to either side. Since the corrugated hose is shoved into the cut-out from the side, it is tightly held without any additional installation effort being required. Installation is correspondingly easy especially when there is at least one cut-out with a side opening in each leg of the angled holder, i.e., the corrugated hose can be mounted in both legs in the same easy way. If one of the cut-outs is a closed hole with a continuous edge, the end of the corrugated hose can be fixed with a clamp, e.g. while simultaneously fixing it to a hole in the wall of a housing so that the corrugated hose can run in the correspondingly desired direction proceeding from the top of the housing via a curve and then through the second leg.
The width of the side opening of the cut-out serving to clamp the corrugated hose can be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the corrugated hose in a corrugation valley so that the diameter of the corrugated hose is compressed by this amount against the elasticity of the material. The corrugated hose can hence be easily introduced from the side into the cut-out by squeezing it slightly, and it fits snugly due to the restoring force of the material elasticity. It can also be easy removed in like manner.
The diameter of the cut-out(s) can approximately correspond to the outer diameter of the corrugated hose at the corrugation valleys. Practically all of the recess or corrugation valley of the corrugated hose can be grasped by the inner edge of the cut-out when installed, and this produces a tight fit.
It is useful when an insertion funnel is provided before the opening in the insertion direction for the corrugated hose into the recess with the side opening, and the funnel leads from the outer edge of the leg to the opening. This makes it easier for the user to insert the corrugated hose from the side into the cut-out, and the corrugated hose is nearly automatically compressed radially in this area by the insertion funnel.
In one embodiment of the invention, both legs of the holder have two cut-outs with and/or without a side opening. The holder is then suitable to simultaneously hold two corrugated hoses or one hose in different positions.
It is particularly desirable when the holder is made of sheet metal and especially sheet steel. It can then be very economical to make practically out of a single piece where the thickness can correspond to the axial dimension of a corrugated valley by selecting a corresponding type of sheet metal.
The angle between the two legs of the holder can be adjustable, particularly by bending when the two connected angled legs are made of a single piece. Accordingly, the angled position of the two legs can be adapted to a special path of the corrugated hose as needed if this path deviates from the path set by the respective angle between the two legs.
At least one of the angled legs can be flat over at least a part of its surface, and this flat area can serve as an attachment site to anchor the holder to a wall or housing surface. This gives the angled leg an additional function, and it is not necessary to provide additional anchoring projections or flanges, etc. on the holder. At least one of the legs (preferably both legs) can have at least one hole, screw opening, or a similar deformation to anchor the holder. In addition to the cut-outs to receive the corrugated hose, one additional hole is sufficient to make the holder functional.
The legs of the holder can be different lengths and, in particular, the leg with a cut-out with a side opening can be longer than the other leg. If for example one leg has a closed cut-out for attaching a line insert or clamp to the end of a corrugated hose, the corrugated hose can be first attached tightly in the holder. It is then bent so that it can be shoved in the side opening of the cut-out of the second angled leg. It is useful if the leg with the cut-out open at the side is somewhat longer since the line insert or clamp takes up a certain amount of space and the corrugated hose cannot bend in this area.
Above all when some or several of the described features and measures are combined, a corrugated hose with a holder results that is very easy to fix and mount in a curved position either to wall holes or housing openings or at a different place in the path of the hose.